Switching device in matrix form



June 3, 1969 A. LATRUBESSE ETAL 3,443,416

SWITCHING DEVICE IN MATRIX FORM Filed March .22, 1967 Sheet o A.LATIN/5555f I M. HULLOT 6. 60VART5 Inventors A Home y June 3, 1969 A.LATRUBESSE ETAL SWITCHING DEVICE IN MAIRIX FORM Sheet Filed March 22,1967 I Jime'3, 1969 A. LATRUBESSE ETAL 3,448,416

SWITCHING DEVICE 1N MATRIX FORM 1 FiiedMarch 22,1967 Sheet 3 0:5

United States Patent Int. Cl. H01h 1766, 67/14, 51/28 US. Cl. 335-112 2Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A telephonic coordinate switch formedof a matrix of reed relays of the magnetic-latching type and having eachfour coils on two cores. The carrier grid of the matrix is formed ofmoulded rods arranged in two crossed webs. Each web comprises twin rodsbetween the lines or rows of the reed relays proper (the sets of glasstubes). Each rod carries a line of coils that will be one of the fourcoils of the adjacent line or row of relays. The relay cores and yokesare assembled in situ after rods with the coils are mounted in theswitch frame.

The present invention relates to switching devices in the form of amatrix, of a type described in French Patent No. 1,393,336, dated Jan.7, 1964, corresponding to United States patent application Ser. No.423,226, filed Jan. 4, 1965, in the names of A. Regnier and F. Silerrne,and more especially in the first addition, No. 85,512, dated Jan. 17,1964, to that patent corresponding to United States patent applicationSer. No. 425,010, filed Jan. 12, 1965, in the names of A. Regnier and F.Silerme. This type of device uses the well known four-coil relays havingsealed magnetic contacts with several sealed contacts placed on onediagonal of a square, while the two magnetic cores, with their fourcoils, are placed at each end of the other diagonal.

The invention provides for simple and cheap construction of a device ofthis type and of a relay of the said type, and also a method ofassembling this device and these relays.

According to a feature of the invention, the switching device is in theform of a matrix formed by two crossed webs of bars which are placedbetween the lines of relays according to the two coordinates of thematrix and which bear the relay coils on both sides in such a way thateach one of the two cores of a relay goes through a coil borne by a barfrom a first web and a coil borne by a bar from the other web; these twowebs of bars being suitably mounted in an appropriate frame, preferablyformed as.

a drawer.

According to another feature of the invention, the bars which separatethe lines of relays each consist of two twin single bars; each singlebar bears the coils of one line of relays. In a square device all thesingle bars are identical; in a m n device the bars of one web onlydiffer from those of the other by the number of their modules.

According to another feature of the invention, the bars are firstequipped with windings on their coils, they are then set in the deviceframe, and the relays are assembled in loco between the bars by firstpassing the cores through the superimposed coils of the two webs of barsand then mounting the yokes on the cores. The sealed contacts shouldpreferably be assembled after the yokes. They are passed through linesof openings in both yokes of each relay. Finally the two crossed webs ofthe switching multiples are positioned.

Plates, preferably lined with soft plastic foam, can be added to bothsides of the device. The coil connection system will preferably be theone described in the aforementioned Patent No. 1,393,336, or its secondaddition No. PV 38,110, Nov. 12, 1965, however some other connectionsystem devised for four-coil relays may be employed. Elements associatedto switching multiples or to the coil excitation system, such asdecoupling diodes, can be'assembled around the frame and fixed to theends of the bars or to the frame itself.

Other features and advantages of the invention will appear from thefollowing exemplary embodiment and the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 depicts the switching device according to the invention inperspective, and with parts cut out,

FIGURE 2 is a cross-section, on a larger scale, of a relay assembled inthe device, along the cores plane, and

FIGURES 3a and 3b show a single bar With its coils, respectively inoverview and front view.

The device shown in the diagrams is designed in the form of a pluggablerack or drawer, as is usual in electronic equipment. It consists of aframe 1 in which two crossed webs of twin bars (2 and 3) are assembled.The twin bars are set out so as to form squares and the crosspointrelays, for example relay 4, are situated perpendicular to the squares.It will be noted that the two opposite sides of each square seen inoverview aremade up of two bars of one web, and that the other twoopposite sides are formed by two bars of the other Web.

Each twin bar comprises two single bars, e.g., bars 2 and 3, which areidentical and placed back to back. If the device is square, 10 x 10cross-points, for example, all the bars in both webs will be identical.The bar ends can be fastened in the frame by means of any suitabledevices, such as notches, lugs, etc. shaped in the frame and in the bars(see FIGURES 1, 3a and 3b). The insertion of the bars is facilitated, bythe fact that they are flexible, being molded in plastic for example.

Each single bar (see FIGURES 3a and 3b) is formed initially with aseries of empty coils, as shown at 5, which are preferably moldedintegrally with the bars. These empty coils are provided withenergisation windings (see 6) before being assembled in the frame. Inthe system employed in the aforementioned patent, all the coils ofrelays in a particular row must be energised in series. In this case allthe windings borne by a single bar are linked together without brakes toform single energisation circuit in each line of corresponding coilsalong each single bar. The connections of these circuits are suitablyassembled in frame 1 and all. lead to one side of the frame 7 in FIGURE1, where pluggable connecting strips such as 8 are situated.

The coils borne by the bars of both webs are superimposed on spoolshaving a common axis, such as are shown at 5 and 9, so that each suchpair of superimposed coils fits onto one of the magnetic cores of arelay. It is clear taking into consideration the four single bars, twoin each Web, which form the square compartment around a relay, that thecoils of a bar from one web, and of a bar from the other web, aresuperimposed in a corner of a square. The coils of the other bars of thetwo webs are superimposed in the opposite corner of the square, so thatthey can fit on the two magnetic cores of the relay (for example, relay4) which is situated on a diagonal of the square.

Once the bars with their superimposed coils have been assembled, therelays are assembled in the square compartments. These relays consist ofthree sealed magnetic contacts 10 (see FIGURE 2) which go through twoyokes 11a, 11b, in the form of a bent yoke with two side lugs 12a, 12b.The ends of the two magnetic cores 13 are forced through these lugs, andthe four coils 5-6 are thus the ends of the cores which extend beyondthe coils. Finally tubes 10 of the sealed contacts are engaged throughthe two yokes (in which appropriate holes have been made) this being thelast step in the assembling of the relays. The switching multiples wiresare then assembled to form two crossed webs as in 14 and 15, and thepins of the sealed contacts are soldered onto these multiples. Twoplates lined with sheets of plastic foam (not shown in the diagram) areprovided in order to protect the relays and to help maintain theirposition in the frame. Plates should be assembled at both sides of frame1 to form a closed rack.

It Will be clear, moreover, that the above is only an embodiment exampleof the invention, and that this specific description in no way limitsthe scope of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. A coordinate switch formed by a matrix of crosspoints in which eachcrosspoint includes a four-coil relay having two magnetic cores with twocoils on each core and a magnetically driven contact device such as aset of reed relay glass tubes, said switch further including a carriergrid for the relays in the matrix, a grid structure formed by twocrossed webs of rods between rows of relays, each rod supporting a lineof coils with the axis of the coils at right angles to the grid, eachcoil supported by a web being aligned with a respective coil supportedby the other web, each relay core being engaged through each such pairof aligned coils, and the contact device of each relay being set in ahole of the said grid structure.

2. A coordinate switch according to claim 1, wherein a furtherimprovement comprises twin rods, each single rod being moulded integralwith a line of coils one side thereof.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,086,085 4/1963 Palm 335-1523,171,918 3/1965 Killion 335-152 3,183,487 5/1965 Deeg 335l52 3,188,4236/1965 Glenner 335-152 3,293,502 12/1966 Beiel'le 335152 3,356,97312/1967 RouZier 335-112 BERNARD A. GILHEANY, Primary Examiner.

H. BROOME, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

